The Grumbles Family

Months 8, 9 and 10…is it spring time again??

2009-04-26T17:23:00.003-05:00

I’m going to skip all the excuses and get right to the update

Spring has sprung and with it lot’s of fun activities to keep us busy. Our first ever swim class was big success, with all of our YMCA friends (former pre-natal water aerobics mommies) along side, Ethan learned to splash, kick and float…all with Dad’s help of course. We even made out with a shiny gold metal for all of our hard work! Ethan is up to 8 teeth and counting…yes, that’s right I said 8. With all of these new teeth Ethan has really mastered eating (as if he didn’t eat well enough before) and for the most part eats what we do at dinnertime…which often includes but is not limited to pork chops, corn on the cob, asparagus, turkey burgers and the occasional tastes of Blue Bell vanilla ice cream! Spring has also brought us some delightful weather for splashing around in our new pool (the blow up kind) as well as visitors from afar. Lee’s Grandparents made a trip in from Florida last week and met Ethan for the first time…he has now met all 7 of his great-grandparents! Our most recent outing came this Friday when Lee and I both took off work to take Ethan to the Zoo. We had wonderful weather and a very manageable crowd which made for a perfect first trip. Although we attempted to introduce Ethan to every creature there, the giraffe’s, flamingo’s, pigeons, school children and a cow at the petting zoo had the biggest impression on him. Speaking of animals, Ferris too has had quite an impression on Ethan and it is fair to say that Ethan’s first word…although not found in the dictionary, is “Bo-Bo” also known as “dog”. Ethan calls for “bo-bo” all the time….if only the feeling was mutual!

Has it been 8 months already!

2009-02-11T18:49:00.008-06:00

Okay, we have definitely been slacking on the blog posts, many apologies to the grandparents. Ethan's third tooth finally popped through this morning after a few restless nights; we can't believe how fast he is growing up! We haven't heard any "Mommy's or Daddy's yet, but I could have sworn he said "Canada" at the dinner table tonight:)It's amazing how mobile Ethan has become, as you can see in the picture once Ethan has fixated on getting something, the tongue comes out and off he goes.

The new nanny started last week and even though we were sad to see Vanessa leave, we were equally excited for the opportunity to have such an experienced nanny watching Ethan. She swears she has already taught him Spanish, which does us no good since we will only know how ask Ethan for another beer. I guess we need to brush up.

Ethan starts swim lessons this weekend, which begins training for his future Olympic career. Hopefully Dad can stay afloat...

2008-12-27T14:13:00.003-06:00

As anticipated, it’s been quite a while since either of us has had enough free time to update the blog….we have a lot of catching up to do! Ethan turned 6 months old this month and has hit many milestones in the process. His first little tooth appeared the second week in December and its partner popped in exactly one week later. We’ve tried to get pictures of the duo, but have been unsuccessful thus far. Ethan has also mastered sitting up without any support from Mom or Dad, this gives us so much flexibility when playing now that all of our hands are free….which of course leads to clapping. Not your typical clapping yet…but he mimics us when we clap and will even grab our hands and pull them together when he wants us to clap for him. The most recent accomplishment is Ethan’s amazing ability to travel! I wouldn’t call it “crawling” just yet…although he has found a way to pop up onto his hands and knees….but a fun combination of wiggles, scoots and rolls usually puts Ethan where he wants to be.

Christmas was as fun as it could be! We took an early visit to the mall to attempt a picture with Santa, fully anticipating the typical screaming baby, but Ethan couldn’t have been happier to sit on Santa’s knee. Christmas day was spent traveling between 3 houses and Ethan was quite the trooper…catching his naps when he could and entertaining the family at all other times.

This season has been wonderful for our family and given us time to reflect on the amazing blessings that we have been given. We are so grateful for all of our friends and family and hope that the New Year continues to bring health and happiness to all of those we hold dear.

My Future's So Bright!

2008-11-09T16:09:00.005-06:00

Ethan is such a happy little boy...even when his Mom forces him to wear sunglasses he still manages a smile! As we prepare for the fast approaching holidays I thought I should sneak a quick blog in, just in case the next one doesn't pop up until the new year :) Ethan has found his voice and makes sure everyone knows it, even if it is during quiet prayer time at Church. He has also discovered Ferris and dies laughing everytime they come in eye contact with each other. Something tells me that the feeling isn't mutual with Ferris quite yet, but I'm sure he'll come around sooner or later. Happy early Thanksgiving to everyone!

Happy Halloween From Ethan!!!

2008-10-29T18:12:00.004-05:00

Ethan has conquered many milestones since his three month birthday. Not only is he moments from crawling on his own, but we are also now supplementing his dinner with an oatmeal cereal snack. The final, but most important milestone, is that Ethan is now sleeping through the night (knock on wood). And by sleeping through the night, I mean he only wakes up once at 2:30 am and then gets up for good at 5:30 am. This is tons better than a few weeks ago when we were up every 45 minutes. As you can see in the photo, Ethan has decided to be an Astronaut (career foreshadowing perhaps) and bypass Mom's idea to be a frog prince. Contrary to his Mom's beliefs, this decision was only Ethan's and his Dad had absoloutely nothing to do with it.

Our little boy is growing up!

2008-10-05T09:11:00.009-05:00

Our little bundle of joy, who is the number one source of this nations supply of drool, is growing up before our eyes. According to his most recent check-up on Friday, he is in the 95th percentile for height and the 100th percentile for weight (where he gets it from is beyond us). Ethan also has begun spending four days a week with Miss Vanessa (the new nanny) and one day with GiGi Grumbles, which has been tough on his Mommy but is getting easier each day. We are extremely excited about the upcoming holidays and starting new traditions with Ethan. Lauren is excited about Halloween and has been toiling over cute costume ideas that will undoubtedly haunt Ethan for years to come. I am more excited about the change in weather and the start of football season where my little quarterback and I can watch the Texans lose each and every Sunday:)

Ethan's Baptism

2008-09-21T11:18:00.005-05:00

So the posts are a little out of order...Ethan was Baptized the week before Hurricane Ike hit, it's just taken me a little longer to get the pictures uploaded. Ethan's Baptism was such a wonderful event; We welcomed him into a relationship with God in the midst of our family, friends and beloved new church...it couldn't have been a more perfect day! Ethan was the only baby (not just the only boy) wearing a gown(possibly the most obvious symbol of our Catholic roots)and boy was he beautiful! The gown is a special family heirloom that has been worn for many, many years and most importantly was worn by me, Blake (Ethan's Godfather) and MiMi (Ethan's Grandmother). Lee was a little concerned about preserving Ethan's integrity, so we decided to call it a "Christening Poncho" instead :). After the Baptism we celebrated with a fabulous luncheon hosted by the Grumbles, where Ethan continued to work his "cute baby" magic. Lee and I can't help but reflect on what a blessed year we have had...from conception to Baptism, this September marks one year since Ethan became the light of our lives...long before he had a name or that precious little smile! We thank God each and every day for the abundant blessings!

Take A Hike, Ike!!!

2008-09-16T12:39:00.006-05:00

Ethan's first hurricane experience resembled his parents first with Hurricane Alisha. Both were catastophic, hit Houston dead on, and occured when we were very young. Thankfully our family and friends came out on the other end unscathed, but are still experiencing the aftermath with no electricity, phones and some with destruction to their homes. The night of the storm was spent safely in the closet with a few walks around the house checking for leaks or window breakage. Ethan was a trooper and didn't show any signs of fear or uneasiness during the storm. We were extremely lucky and only lost power for 24 hours so we welcomed family over to relax and clean up. Our home lost only a few shingles and we feel that the eye sore of a hotel behind us may have shielded our home from the worst of the winds. Lauren and I have yet to go back to work, but that will probably soon change over the next day or so. Since our phones are still out and we have limited use of cell phones, if any friends or family read this and need supplies, please let us know by responding to this post. Take care everyone!

Labor Day

2008-09-08T19:14:00.002-05:00

Labor Day was a milestone holiday for many reasons this year. Not only was it Ethan's first official family vacation, but it was the first real vacation Lauren and I had taken all year. The trip began very smoothly (which is very unlike us) and we made it to New Braunfels in relatively good time. Ethan slept a majority of the trip with a few hunger meltdowns here and there. Ferris was a perfect dog during the entire car ride and was a awarded with a handful of french fries from Dairy Queen. The weekend was wonderful, we were able to visit with some old friends the first night and pretty much relaxed the rest of the weekend. My parents came up on Saturday and we spent that night eating bbq at the "Conway Compound". We came to realize that Ethan will be an outdoors man and I definitely see Cub Scout camping retreats in my near future. Also, as horrible as this may sound, we came to realize how lax we now are with Ferris after I let him out to do his business at around 3:30 am and forgot to let him back in. 5 hours later, we did not have happy dog in our midst. The binky death count should see a dramatic rise.

Two Months Old

2008-08-26T08:59:00.005-05:00

Ethan has reached the two month mark and continues to amaze and entertain us. At his doctors appointment last week he weighed in at 15lbs, 24" long....the average size of a 3-4 month old! He handled his shots as well as can be expected and very clearly hollered "Momma" in his loudest of all screams...even the nurse acknowledged this occurrence. I'm sure it will be months before I hear it again and with purpose...but I thought it was worth mentioning. Over the last week Ethan has been searching for his little thumb to suck on (see picture above); luckily it remains safely tucked between his first and second finger. On the occasion that he manages to find a finger instead he either gags himself on it or spits it out with a look of utter disgust...needless to say I think I will keep up the daily lotion routine :)

For those interested, our Binky Death Count is in need of updating...we dont have proof yet, but I think it's safe to say that Ferris has gotten very clever. 6 Binky's Dead, 1 MIA (for now).

Daddy's Blurb...

2008-08-07T16:10:00.009-05:00

Well, seven weeks is barely upon us and I wonder where the time has gone. It seems like it was only yesterday when Ethan was vomiting and urinating all over my freshly pressed white shirt...oh wait that was yesterday. Of course Lauren is the mother I always knew she would be and I must say with fearful regret that Ethan may turn out to be the dreaded "Mommas Boy" that I've read about in books. It's besides the point that I too was and still am a "Mommas Boy", but I just felt that I needed to express how much Ethan loves his Mommy and is just like his Daddy. The infamous "Binky Death Count" is up to six and it's amazing how effective Ferris has gotten with his binky snatching. I wouldn't be surprised if the next stolen binky is preceded with a smoke bomb and flash grenade. All else is well at the Grumbles casa, until then Daddy signing off.

On a side note...

2008-08-04T11:26:00.003-05:00

For all of you have been so kind as to inquire about the well being of Ferris (the former baby of the house), we are pleased to say that he has been an exceptional little dog; we are so proud of how well behaved he has been! The closest he has gotten to Ethan was to investigate the funny smell coming from his backside, but even the exeptional dog is not without his faults. Before Ethan even arrived Ferris managed to find most of his rattles in a basket placed shamfully low on a shelf and did his best to hide most of them under the bed in the guest room. The most recent and perhaps most frequent offense has been the mutilation of Ethan's binky's. It starts out as Lee or I carelessly leaving a binky in easy reach of Ferris...and usually ends with me finding small pieces of plastic scattered around the house. Lee and I are getting better about where we leave the binkys...but have nonetheless decided to start "The binky death count" So far were at 5.

Ethan is a month old

2008-07-23T12:05:00.003-05:00

Oh my Lord, where did the time go? I am completely overwhelmed at the passage of time...and already dreading his first day of school, for surely it will be here tomorrow. Our precious little Ethan has grown so much, not only is he a whopping 11lbs 12oz but he rolled over already from his tummy to his back! (see video clip 2) Each day brings something new...both joys and challenges...this is by far the hardest thing we've ever done. In the middle of the night when my sleep deprived head is bobbing up and down during one of MANY feedings, I look down and see his sweet little face and know that before you know it he will be too big to curl up in my lap. So I take the chance of waking him up and kiss him before the moment is gone.

The many 1st's of week 3

2008-07-11T11:39:00.005-05:00

This week was a week of many firsts! Ethan took his first stroll around the block in his larger than life stroller, our first trip to the grocery store and a BIG trip all the way into Rice Village to buy a baby sling so I can "wear" Ethan around town! This was also the first week that we were without Lee and that was hard on all three of us...especially experiencing the "early evening" meltdown that we had heard so much about, right as Lee was joyfully returning home from work. Overall it was a wonderful week! Ethan and I were very blessed to have MiMi (my Mother) half a day all week long to help out with all of the outings and to allow me to sneak a few naps in along the way. The week isn't over yet though, we still have one more "first" ahead of us....our first trip back to the chiropractor! Who would have thought that caring for such a little baby could cause such major back pain??

Our first week at home

2008-07-02T17:52:00.003-05:00

Our first week has flown by! We were warned by other first time parents to savor each moment, so we responded by taking hundreds of pictures of our sweet little Ethan...trying to capture each fleeting smile and the most precious little feet. We've had our first few doctor's appointments, one lunch date with other new mom's and babies from my water aerobics class, lots of visitors and even managed to sleep a little in the process. Ethan is up to 8lbs. 12oz and nursing every 2-3 hours, he is a very healthy, very happy baby boy. Lee will have the rest of this week off before returning to work on Monday, a day that I am not looking forward to. I feel so fortunate to have had him home for 2 weeks...learning and growing together as a family, I will miss him terribly!

Looking back....

2008-06-29T17:10:00.004-05:00

Well, this time last week I was trying to decide if labor had set in, or I was just imagining those semi-regular contractions...we all know how that one turned out! I dont think I will write much about the actual labor; Lee did a magnificent job of that and his words will be pretty hard to beat. I will say however that I am very pleased with how it all unfolded...no labor is predictible, and although it was an unusually long process...we have our precious little Ethan to show for it. In those 20something hours, I learned so much about what I am capable of and I fell in love with Lee all over again...it was an experience that is truly beyond words.

The Delivery 6/23/08

2008-06-27T13:14:00.005-05:00

From the Father's perspective:
When Lauren and I awoke Sunday morning, I had no idea that our lives would soon be hurled onto a 25 hour emotional roller coaster ride. Lauren's contractions initially began around 2 pm, but we really never thought this was it until 6 pm that night when they were occurring every 5 minutes. Of course, I went into panic mode, but Lauren stayed calm and called Debbie (the doula) to inform her of the progress. We continued to monitor the contractions and at 3:00 am, we decided to leave for the hospital. During the next 16 hours, I encountered so many emotions, watching Lauren endure pain I would never experience literally every 3 minutes. At the same time, I also experienced moments of pride and love knowing how hard she was fighting for Ethan. At 4 pm Monday night, our nurse informed us that Lauren had not made any progress in the past 3 hours and discussed our options. Lauren decided that an epidural was needed in order for her body to be relaxed enough to dialate to 10 centimeters...she was right. 30 minutes later, I was talking with family in the waiting room and Debbie told me that Lauren's water had just broke; I was so happy and scared for what we were both about to experience. Lauren fought and pushed over the next 2 hours and finally Ethan was born into this world at 10:07 pm. The most amazing moment of my life was seeing his face as he left his Mom's body and was placed on her chest. No words can describe the emotions going through my body and any doubt or nervousness I previously had was now gone. All that's left is excitement of what is in store for our family and love for my wife and new son and how courageous they both were on such a long and scary day.

The "Due" Date

2008-06-21T09:26:00.001-05:00

Ethan's much anticipated arrival has still yet to come, although we know that as soon as he is ready he will come! So in the mean time I will try to occupy my anxious mind with the completely foreign task of adding to this blog. At our last appointment...Thursday, we learned that our beloved doctor would be out of town until Sunday evening!! So as much as I am tempted to walk around the block until my feet fall off, I will be laying low this weekend in attempt to delay the delivery until she returns (as if I really have control over this).

Getting Ready

2008-05-04T19:01:00.002-05:00

It's been a long process, but we are finally getting close to finishing up the nursery! Lee has put in some long hours with the paint roller and nail gun and of course I've been busy away from the paint fumes trying my best to pull off a nursery that meet's all of those "I bet your nursery is perfect" expectations. We still have a few finishing touches...OK, quite a few, but I have no doubt we'll pull it off before Ethan's arrival.